Calculating the transfer function of noise removal by principal component analysis and application to AzTEC observations

Instruments using arrays of many bolometers have become increasingly common in the past decade. The maps produced by such instruments typically include the filtering effects of the instrument as well as those from subsequent steps performed in the reduction of the data. Therefore interpretation of the maps is dependent upon accurately calculating the transfer function of the chosen reduction technique on the signal of interest. Many of these instruments use non-linear and iterative techniques to reduce their data because such methods can offer improved signal-to-noise over those that are purely linear, particularly for signals at scales comparable to that subtended by the array. We discuss a general approach for measuring the transfer function of principal component analysis (PCA) on point sources that are small compared to the spatial extent seen by any single bolometer within the array. The results are applied to previously released AzTEC catalogues of the COSMOS, Lockman Hole, Subaru XMM-Newton Deep Field, GOODS-North and GOODS-South fields. Source flux density and noise estimates increase by roughly +10 per cent for fields observed while AzTEC was installed at the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment and +15-25 per cent while AzTEC was installed at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Detection significance is, on average, unaffected by the revised technique. The revised photometry technique will be used in subsequent AzTEC releases.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Effects of nutritive antioxidants on bone during immobility

Age and disease related inactivity in older people and inactivity during space flight and in ground-based analogs, such as 6° head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR) are associated with bone loss. This bone loss is mainly induced by decreased mechanical loading. Additionally, oxidative stress resulting from excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or dysfunction of the antioxidant defense systems leads to increased bone resorption processes. Antioxidants like polyphenols, omega-3-fatty acids, vitamins and micronutrients may mitigate the damaging effects of ROS on bone turnover and mediate the scavenging of free radicals. To get an overview of the current state of research a literature search was conducted, with focus on the effects of nutritive polyphenols on bone metabolism. Based on these results a randomized, controlled, intervention study, in a parallel design was conducted at the Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, Toulouse, France with 20 healthy male volunteers (age 34 ± 8 y, weight 74 ± 6 kg). We hypothesized that antioxidant supplementation during 60 days of HDBR would positively affect bone markers, bone mineral content (BMC) bone mineral density (BMD) and bone structure parameters compared to non-supplemented controls. The study was divided into two campaigns and each campaign consisted of a 14-d adaptation (BDC), a 60-d HDBR and a 14 d recovery (R) phase. Ten volunteers participated in each campaign. In both campaigns, five volunteers were randomly allocated to the intervention group and five volunteers to the control group. In the intervention group volunteers received an antioxidant cocktail, consisting of 741 mg polyphenols, 2.1 g omega-3-fatty acids, 168 mg vitamin E and 80 µg selenium. In the control group volunteers received no supplement. All volunteers received an individually tailored and strictly controlled diet. BMC, lumbar spine, femur and whole body BMD, BMD of the cortical and trabecular compartments of the distal radius and tibia and cortical and trabecular thickness, as well as serum calcium, parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, and bone formation markers aminoterminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP) and bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP) were measured at different time points during BDC, HDBR and R, along with urinary calcium and bone resorption markers C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX). The antioxidant supplement did not affect BMC, lumbar spine, femr and whole-body BMD, cortical and trabecular BMD or thickness in the radius or tibia, calcium homeostasis (serum calcium and parathyroid hormone); bone resorption markers (urinary CTX, urinary NTX, and serum β-CTX); bone formation markers (bAP, P1NP and osteocalcin); or urinary calcium excretion. In both groups, typical bed rest related changes were observed (increase of bone resorption markers, unchanged bone formation makers, decrease of BMC, BMD and changes in bone structure). Supplementation of an antioxidant cocktail to a diet matching the DRIs did not affect bone turnover during 60-d HDBR in young, healthy, male subjects.Alters- und krankheitsbedingte Inaktivität bei älteren Menschen sowie Immobilität während des Aufenthalts in Schwerelosigkeit und in bodengebundenen Analogstudien, wie z. B. der 6°-Kopftielflage (HDBR), sind mit Knochenverlust verbunden. Dieser Knochenverlust wird vor allem durch verminderte mechanische Belastung hervorgerufen. Zusätzlich führt oxidativer Stress, der aus einer übermäßigen Freisetzung reaktiver Sauerstoffspezies (ROS) oder einer Fehlfunktion des antioxidativen Abwehrsystems resultiert, zu erhöhten Knochenresorptionsprozessen. Antioxidantien wie Polyphenole, Omega-3-Fettsäuren, Vitamine und Mikronährstoffe scheinen die schädigenden Auswirkungen von ROS auf den Knochenumsatz mildern zu können. Um einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der Forschung zu erhalten, wurde eine Literaturrecherche durchgeführt, wobei der Fokus auf den Auswirkungen von nutritiven Polyphenolen auf den Knochenstoffwechsel lag. Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen wurde eine randomisierte, kontrollierte Interventionsstudie im Parallel-Design im Institut für Raumfahrtmedizin und Physiologie, Toulouse, Frankreich, mit 20 gesunden männlichen Probanden (Alter 34 ± 8 Jahre, Gewicht 74 ± 6 kg) durchgeführt. Die Hypothese war, dass eine Antioxidantien-Supplementierung während einer 60-tägigen HDBR Knochenmarker, Knochenmineralgehalt (BMC), Knochendichte (BMD) und Knochenstrukturparameter positiv beeinflusst. Die Studie war in zwei Kampagnen unterteilt, und jede Kampagne bestand aus einer 14-tägigen Anpassungs- (BDC), einer 60-tägigen 6° Kopftieflage-Phase (HDBR) und einer 14-tägigen Erholungsphase (R). An jeder Kampagne nahmen zehn Probanden teil. In beiden Kampagnen wurden fünf Probanden nach dem Zufallsprinzip in die Interventionsgruppe und fünf Probanden in die Kontrollgruppe eingeteilt. In der Interventionsgruppe erhielten die Probanden einen Antioxidantien-Cocktail, bestehend aus 741 mg Polyphenolen, 2,1 g Omega-3-Fettsäuren, 168 mg Vitamin E und 80 µg Selen. In der Kontrollgruppe erhielten die Probanden kein Supplement. Alle Probanden erhielten eine individuell abgestimmte und streng kontrollierte Diät. Ledenwirbelsäule, Femur und Ganzkörper BMD und BMC, BMD der kortikalen und trabekulären Kompartimente des distalen Radius und der Tibia und die kortikale und trabekuläre Dicke, sowie Serum-Calcium, Parathormon, Osteocalcin, und die Knochenformationsmarker aminoterminales Propeptid von Typ-I-Kollagen (P1NP) und alkalische Knochenphosphatase (bAP) wurden zusammen mit der Calciumausscheidung und den Knochenresorptionsmarkern C-Telopeptid des Typ-I-Kollagens (CTX) und N-Telopeptid des Typ-I-Kollagens (NTX) im 24 h Urin zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten während BDC, HDBR und R gemessen. Die Antioxidantiengabe hatte keinen Einfluss auf die Ledenwirbelsäule, Femur und Ganzkörper Knochendichte und den Knochenmineralgehalt, die kortikale und trabekuläre Knochendichte und Dicke im Radius und der Tibia, Calciumhomöostase (Serum Calcium- und Parathormonkonzentrationen), Exkretion der Knochenresorptionsmarker (CTX im Urin, NTX im Urin und Serum β-CTX), Serumkonzentrationen der Knochenaufbaumarker (bAP, P1NP und Osteocalcin) oder die Calciumausscheidung im Urin. In beiden Gruppen wurden typische bettruhebedingte Veränderungen beobachtet (Anstieg der Knochenresorptions-marker, unveränderte Konzentrationen der Knochenformationsmarker, Reduktion der BMC, BMD und Veränderungen der Knochenstruktur). Die Supplementierung eines Antioxidantien-Cocktails zu einer Diät, die den Referenzwerten entsprach, hatte keinen Einfluss auf den Knochenumsatz gesunder, junger Männer während einer 60-tägigen 6° Kopftieflage

A History of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church to Merger with the Lutheran Church - -Missouri Synod

In chapter II, I will give an historical survey of the Finnish emigration to the United States, and the resultant formation and growth of both the Suomi Synod and the Apostolic Lutherans or Laestadians, as a prelude to the formation of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church. In chapter III, I will trace the history of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church to 1956. In chapter IV, I will cover the actual merger process to completion in January of 1964

Reconstructing last interglacial sea level to understand how ice sheets behave in a warmer world

The last interglacial (125 ka) marks a time during which global mean temperatures were 1-2º warmer than pre-industrial values. This time period has therefore been used as a natural laboratory for studying ice sheet stability and sea level rise in a warmer world. Local sea level during the last interglacial can be reconstructed using sea level indicators such as fossil corals. In order to infer global mean sea level, or equivalent ice volume, one needs to correct local sea level estimates for post-depositional deformation. In this presentation I will explain what solid Earth deformation needs to be accounted for in these reconstructions and how we can model these processes. I will further show newly obtained last interglacial sea level data from the Bahamas, use them to infer last interglacial global mean sea level and provide an outlook of how these findings can affect predictions of future sea level change

Digital frequency domain multiplexing readout electronics for the next generation of millimeter telescopes

Frequency domain multiplexing (fMux) is an established technique for the readout of transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers in millimeter-wavelength astrophysical instrumentation. In fMux, the signals from multiple detectors are read out on a single pair of wires reducing the total cryogenic thermal loading as well as the cold component complexity and cost of a system. The current digital fMux system, in use by POLARBEAR, EBEX, and the South Pole Telescope, is limited to a multiplexing factor of 16 by the dynamic range of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device pre-amplifier and the total system bandwidth. Increased multiplexing is key for the next generation of large format TES cameras, such as SPT-3G and POLARBEAR2, which plan to have on the of order 15,000 detectors. Here, we present the next generation fMux readout, focusing on the warm electronics. In this system, the multiplexing factor increases to 64 channels per module (2 wires) while maintaining low noise levels and detector stability. This is achieved by increasing the system bandwidth, reducing the dynamic range requirements though active feedback, and digital synthesis of voltage biases with a novel polyphase filter algorithm. In addition, a version of the new fMux readout includes features such as low power consumption and radiation-hard components making it viable for future space-based millimeter telescopes such as the LiteBIRD satellite.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. To be published in Proceedings of SPIE Volume 9153. Presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2014, conference 915

Sedimentology and depositional environment of the middle Cambrian Manuels River Formation in the type locality at Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Canada

A detailed bed-by-bed study of fossiliferous, marine, grey to black shales of the middle Cambrian (Drumian, Cambrian Series 3) Manuels River Formation along its type locality in Newfoundland, Canada, was carried out and provides insight into the sedimentology, depositional environment, palaeogeography and climatology of the area. The formation was deposited on the microcontinent Avalonia, the largest terrane of the peri-Gondwanan realm situated in temperate latitudes. The partly organic-rich (up to 3.36 % TOC) shales of the succession were deposited mainly conformably under dysoxic conditions. Deposition was controlled by two shallowing trends and occurred below, near and above mean storm- wave base. The contact of the top of the rst shallowing-upward trend in the succession is conformably, whereas the second shallowing-upward trend is truncated by an erosional unconformity, forming the top of the formation. An average sedimentation rate of c. 3.8 m/ Ma is estimated. The clay-mineral composition and illite crystallinity suggest a subsidence of approximately 5.7–6.3 km and a burial temperature of c. 280 °C. The low chlorite/kaolinite ratios indicate a mainly warm semi-humid climate setting at 35°–65° S, with sudden changes to a semi-arid setting. The subsidence, sedimentation rate and depositional environment suggest an Early Ordovician Avalonia-Gondwana separation